1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to enclosures. More particularly, the subject invention relates to enclosures including a plurality of sectional coverings.
2. Description of Related Art
Quality control in the automotive industry is continually reaching new heights. Every aspect of the manufacturing of an automotive vehicle is under close scrutiny. A problem relating to the exterior finishes of the vehicles in the plant environment is the transportation of the vehicle through the manufacturing plant between stages of manufacturing. For example, the exterior finish of a vehicle might become contaminated when the vehicle is moved from the spray booth to the oven where it is heat treated.
Enclosures made of sheet metal have been installed between manufacturing stations in plants. These enclosures, however, create additional problems, they being: the inability to view the parts as they move between stations; the need for new lighting systems which must be installed within the enclosure; and the need for new sprinkler systems which must be installed within the enclosures because the existing sprinkler systems are ineffective if a fire should be ignited in an enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,778 to Pohl, issued Aug. 29, 1989, discloses an enclosure made from a plurality of metal frames and plastic extending across each metal frame. The metal frames include a plurality of side members having substantially U-shaped cross sections creating an aperture with inwardly and downwardly extending flanges extending into the aperture. The flanges coact with arms extending down from a cap and secure the plastic therebetween. The metal frames with the plastic covering the area created by the metal frames are attached to each other and sealed to prevent contaminants from entering the protected area. Although the contamination shield eliminates the need for additional lighting and sprinkler systems, the flanges on the side members tend to cut or tear the plastic destroying the contamination-free space.